'Wizarding World of Harry Potter' opens

Elaine Yu, CNN • Published 11th April 2016

FacebookTwitterEmail

(CNN) — Always secretly wished that an owl -- or a half-giant, if you're really special -- would one day fly into your apartment to deliver a parchment bearing news that you've been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

Us too.

Universal Studios Hollywood is now home to the next best thing -- the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It's about 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles.

l

e

v

a

r

t

The park unveiled its long-awaited $500 million attraction -- five years in the making -- on April 7, 2016. Tickets for opening day sold out days in advance, causing the park to halt online sales for the first time ever.

Thousands of fans gathered at the entrance before dawn, waiting to be among the first to set foot in Hogsmeade, the quaint cobblestone village where Hogwarts students -- and now muggles, too -- can enjoy a butter beer or have a wand "choose" them at Ollivanders Wand Shop.